National analyst draws Tennessee fans’ ire on social media after cringy interview with Ja’Kobi Gillespie following Vols’ win over Houston
One notable talking head can’t get over his disdain for Tennessee’s schedule, even in the aftermath of the Vols’ big win over Houston.
Apparently, Jeff Goodman really isn’t a fan of the Tennessee Volunteers’ schedule, and he can’t seem to let it go – even in the face of the Vols pulling off one of the biggest wins of the early 2025-26 college basketball season.
Tennessee defeated Houston on Tuesday night 76-73 in Las Vegas, somewhat avenging the Vols’ painful Elite Eight loss to the Cougars eight months prior. Ja’Kobi Gillespie starred for Tennessee, pacing the Vols with 22 points on the night.
After the game, Goodman couldn’t help but insert his narrative of the Vols’ supposedly weak early season schedule before Houston, and it drew a fair response from Gillespie.
Jeff Goodman has awkward moment with Ja’Kobi Gillespie during postgame interview after continuing to beat a dead horse about Vols’ schedule
“Ok, Ja’Kobi, new team, and you hadn’t really played an opponent like Houston,” Goodman said. “You win this game in kind of a grinder fashion. Home much do you think this made a statement for you guys that you know what? We are for real.”
“Yeah, I would say we have played – we played Duke in the preseason, an exhibition,” Gillespie said.
“I’m not counting exhibitions, man,” Goodman retorted. “I’m only counting the real games that count.”
“We did play in that game, so I feel like we’ve seen at the end of the game how grimy we have to be to get those wins,” Gillespie continued. “And I feel like, just how hard we’ve been practicing and everything like that. We knew what it would take to get this win, and we really wanted it.”
The responses from Tennessee fans in the replies to the tweeted interview called Goodman to the carpet for how he handled the interview with Gillespie, with some calling for him to not interview Tennessee players again.
And there were many others that are, let’s say, not safe for work, which one can read by clicking on the post and reading the replies.
This isn’t the first time that Goodman has banged the drum publicly about the Vols not playing anyone this season. Goodman thumbed out a post on Twitter/X shortly before the start of the season criticizing Tennessee’s early season schedule.
His criticism was head scratching, given that the Vols are in the middle of a stretch of playing Rutgers, Houston, Kansas, at Syracuse, Illinois, and Louisville. That’s a very challenging non-conference schedule.
With Houston coming into the game last night at No. 3, Kansas being unranked at the moment but proving last night they’re still good with a double-digit win over Syracuse, and Illinois (No. 13) and Louisville (No. 6) being in the top 15, the Vols’ pre-SEC slate is filled with plenty of challenges.
Goodman’s approach to handling his own personal beefs with a team, whether it’s schedule or otherwise, should stay out of his conversations with players. It’s a bad look, and it’s an even worse look when the point you’re trying to make is a misguided one.
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